Hello all,
Not long returned from a VERY successful birding trip to both
the Cocos-Keeling Islands and Christmas Island. During first two weeks I was
accompanied by two groups of birders, some of whom were visiting CI for the
second time. The second two weeks gave me the opportunity to explore some of
the more remote locations on both islands as well as spend a few days diving.
Highlights:
Green Junglefowl - up to 100 seen on West Island- Cocos. Males were in
breeding plumage and most agreed it was the most spectacular looking bird of
the trip.
Red Junglefowl- small numbers seen on both islands.
White-tailed Tropicbird - Up to 30 seen each day on CI. Mostly golden morph
with small numbers seen on Cocos.
Red-tailed Tropicbird - Up to 20 seen on a single day on CI.
Abbotts Booby - Seen flying, roosting and on the ground after cyclone Jacob.
We rescued two birds from the forest floor and took them to Parks Australia.
Red-footed Booby - Seen on both CI and Cocos, with up to 300 seen on a single
day on CI.
Brown Booby - Common.
Masked Booby - 1 seen on Cocos.
Frigatebirds( Christmas and Great) both very common on CI with thousands seen
daily. Small numbers of Great Frigatebirds seen on Cocos.
Lesser Frigatebird - Up to 9 seen on Cocos on a single day.
WESTERN REEF EGRET - Birds probably of this species seen daily on Cocos.
Nankeen Night Heron - Up to 100 seen on a single day on the Cocos.
Great Cormorant - 1 seen on Cocos. Not previously recorded on Cocos.
Christmas Island Goshawk - Up to 3 seen on a single day.
ORIENTAL HOBBY - Seen over a 7 day period mostly around the rubbish tip.
First record for Australia.
White-breasted Waterhen - Up to 10 seen daily on Cocos, some with up to three
chicks.
Only 1-2 seen on CI. Probably because of the increasing feral cat population.
Buff-banded Rail- Nth Keeling ssp - seen on Home Island and Horsborough
Island and soon to be released on Direction Island.
Oriental Pratincole - Up to 4 birds in breeding plumage seen most days on the
Cocos airstrip. Flocks of 50 seen most days on CI after Cyclone Jacob.
SAUNDER'S TERN - 7 seen on South Island in breeding plumage the 7/3/07. No
birds present on the 22-23/3/07.
Common Noddy - Common on CI
White Tern - Common on Cocos.
Christmas Island Imperial Pigeon - Common on CI.
Emerald Dove - seen daily on CI.
Christmas Island Hawk-Owl - seen on CI
SAVANNAH NIGHTJAR - 1 seen on CI Airport and heard calling for several nights.
Christmas Island Swiftlet- Hundreds seen daily on CI.
Dollarbird - 1 seen on CI.
WHITE WAGTAIL - 1 seen over 4 days at CI rubbish tip.
Eurasian Tree Sparrow - Common on CI.
Java Sparrow - seen on CI but not always easy to find.
Barn Swallow - Seem almost daily on Cocos.
ASIAN HOUSE MARTIN - 2 birds seen near CI airport.
- 1 bird seen on Cocos flying over the
farm on Home Island. First record for Cocos.
Christmas Island White-eye - Common on CI and on Horsborough Island- Cocos.
Island Thrush - Common on CI.
Other more common species seen were: Pacific Black Duck, White-faced Heron,
Little Egret, Eastern Reef Egret, Intermediate Egret, Nankeen Kestrel,
Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper, Wedge-tailed Shearwater,
Grey-tailed Tattler, Ruddy Turnstone, Red-necked Stint, Sanderling,
Black-winged Stilt, Pacific Golden Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Striated
(Little) Heron and Glossy Ibis.
I'm planning to return at the same time again in 2008!
Regards
Richard Baxter
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